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I'm a first time compressor owner, so apologies for this "Compressor 101" question.

I bought a Makita compressor, Goodyear rubber 50 foot hose, and Craftsman Accessory Kit. I'm trying to use the blow gun, but air leaks on both ends of the hose (compressor side and air gun side) at the quick connects. I just tightened the hose connection way more than I thought necessary and most of the leak is gone, but it still leaks a little. Is it customary to put Teflon tape or something else on the fittings to eliminate leaks?

As a general rule, any tapered pipe threads require some kind of sealant to be gas/liquid tight. Personally I like to use the yellow teflon tape made for natural gas use; it's heavier and seems to seal better although it's about 3x as expensive.

__________________I find some people work harder trying to justify doing things wrong than it would have just taken to do them right to begin with...

Tape is fine if the heat doesn't get to the joint. I used Teflon tape on the compressor-to-tank line and it was great until I was running it hard (sandblasting) and now it hisses. Guess what I'm doing tonight?

__________________I do not prize the word "cheap." It is not a badge of honor...it is a symbol of despair. Cheap prices make for cheap goods; cheap goods make for cheap men; and cheap men make for a cheap country. ~ William McKinley

Home Depot sells a yellow teflon tape that is a bit thicker and more heavy duty (and a bit more expensive) than the cheap white stuff they and others sell. It is in the area around the black piping. After I changed to the yellow stuff from the cheap white stuff all my leaks in the compressor system went away.

I've always used the white tape, but after reading this thread I'm gonna switch up to the yellow. I've seen it at Home Depot, its like $3 a roll. I usually retape all my air tools every 6 months anyway. Great Suggestion Guys!!!

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Muffduster

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teflon tape or pipe dope is mainly a lubricant to help you get the joint tight enough the threads themselves make the seal. you can use the regular teflon tape for any application as long as you stay a thread back. only use tape on pvc threads never dope or paste.

Thanks for the tips on application (thread back and wrapping in direction of tightening). I did it this morning and all the leaks are gone. I picked up the Craftsman 50 foot manual hose reel. It comes with a PVC hose, which is junk, but after replacing it with the Goodyear rubber hose it works great. It took some time to take the PVC hose out and to put everything back together with Teflon tape, but everything works great now so I'm very happy with the setup. It's really great to have a compressor, should have done it many years ago.

teflon tape or pipe dope is mainly a lubricant to help you get the joint tight enough the threads themselves make the seal. you can use the regular teflon tape for any application as long as you stay a thread back. only use tape on pvc threads never dope or paste.

I gave up on tape on PVC a long time ago. Tried everything to make IP thread on PVC seal up with tape, nothing worked. Tried a couple of wraps, tried more, tighter, everything. Gave up. Couple of friends said they had the same experience and found dope to work. Since then I use pipe dope and usually don't have any problems.